Dr. Kimberly Murphy
Dr. Kimberly Murphy
Assistant Professor of Biology
212 Nilssen-Boe
(641) 585-8349
murphyk@waldorf.edu
Education:
2005-2007
Postdoctoral Research, Syracuse University, Department of Biology
The application of phylogenomics to targeted large-scale mutagenesis as a means of expanding the functional annotation of multicellular prokaryotic genomes: Myxococcus xanthus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
1998-2004
Ph.D. (Genetics and Cell Biology), Washington State University, School of Molecular Biosciences
Utilization of multidisciplinary approaches in molecular biology, biochemistry, and laser microdissection (microscopy) to study the dynamics of the soybean paraveinal mesophyll cell layer.
1995-1998
B.S. (Cell and Molecular Biology), Winona State University
Research:
Biofilms are large, highly organized communities of microbial cells that are attached to solid surfaces. Bacterial biofilms have been linked to many persistent infections in humans, including those caused by ubiquitous bacteria that become pathogenic only when they form biofilms. Such infections are difficult to eradicate using traditional antibiotic therapy, and coping with them will require a thorough understanding of the nature and character of biofilms. The development of new therapeutic agents to disperse pathogenic biofilms will require a fundamental understanding of the genetic and molecular basis for their formation. Hence, there is a specific need to identify new genes involved in biofilm formation, and to understand the molecular functions of their protein products. Our research addresses this need by using the Myxococcus xanthus phylogenomic map to identify new genes required for M. xanthus fruiting body development, a well-studied model system for the formation of single-species biofilms. The phylogenomic map clusters M. xanthus genes based on similar evolutionary histories or coinheritance. Using this coinheritance map, we are focusing on several clusters of putative motility genes, since motility is known to be required for fruiting body development. Motility clusters that contain a large number of uncharacterized genes have been identified. We will determine if insertion mutations generated in several of the uncharacterized genes affect motility and fruiting body development. Results from our M. xanthus studies can be expanded to identify additional genes involved in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation as well as genes involved in biofilm formation in other bacterial pathogens. The broader impact of this research is a better understanding of the genetics behind the formation of pathogenic biofilms. The practical application of this information is the potential discovery of new targets for biofilm disruption, and thus, new possibilities for treatments.
Personal Interests:
Traveling, sports, exercise/working-out, hiking, and bicycling.
Courses:
General Biology (BIO120)
Biochemistry (BIO330)
Genetics (BIO332)
Microbiology (BIO340)
Cell and Molecular Biology (BIO440)
Developmental Biology (BIO442)
Biology Research (BIO491 & BIO492)
Useful links:
www.xanthusbase.org
